Gas operated feeder for gun



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 7, 1964 R. G. NUTTING GAS OPERATED FEEDER FOR GUN Filed Feb. 24, 1956 BY MEMQ Q- July 7, 1964 R. G. NUTTlNG GAS OPERATED FEEDER FOR GUN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1956 INVENTOR. Huber G- Nufiing /777'O RIVY3- ww jili M/WMW H W .W I r l ru .m .W .wm m

X I, f 3 V n United 1 States Patent 3,139,796 GAS @PERATED FEEDER FOR GUN Robert G. Nntting, Glenview, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Feb. 24, 1956, Ser. No. 567,696 1 Claim. (Cl. 89-33) My invention relates to machine guns and more particularly to a cartridge feeder therefor.

In aircraft having wings of narrow section, machine guns are frequently mounted therein with their lateral axes disposed in the vertical direction and it is an object of my invention, therefore, to provide a machine gun for such application with a feeder of narrow lateral silhouette.

Another object of my invention is to provide a positively operated feeder for a machine gun.

A further object of my invention is to provide a gas operated feeder for such a gun.

Other aims and objects of my invention will appear from the following explanation thereof.

In carrying out my invention, a machine gun having an axially slidable bolt for chambering cartridges in a barrel and extracting the fired cases therefrom is provided with a feeder having a body with a throat disposed adjacent to the path of the bolt. The axis of the throat intersects the axis of the barrel at the breech end thereof.

Cartridges are supplied to the weapon in a belt of open links whereby the cartridges may be pushed radially therefrom and a sprocket rotatable in the body conveys the links to a position adjacent the feeder throat by a ratchet secured between the sprocket and a frame slidably disposed on the body. The frame includes a cylinder supplied with discharge gases from the barrel and a piston secured to the body is slidable in the cylinder. The frame is spring-biased to a normal position and provided with a stripper for sequentially pushing each cartridge out of the inclosing link and into the feeder throat responsive to discharge of a cartridge in the barrel.

For a more complete understanding of my invention reference is directed to the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan partly in section of a machine gun incorporating my invention with the bolt of the gun in battery position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 corresponding to the rearward stroke of the bolt;

FIG. 3 is a view along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view along line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view along line 5-5 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a cutaway perspective view of the feeding device.

Accordingly, a machine gun 12 having a receiver 14 and a barrel 16 with an axis 17 is provided with a bolt 18 disposed for slidable axial operation in rearward and forward strokes responsive to gases from the discharge of a cartridge 20 chambered in barrel 16.

A feeder 22 includes a body 23 secured to receiver 14 and provided with a throat 24 for receiving cartridges 20 from the feeder as hereinafter described. Axis 25 of the throat intersects axis 17 of barrel 16 at the breech end thereof.

Cartridges 20 are supplied to gun 12 in a belt 26 including connected open links 28 which grip the cartridges for radial removal therefrom. Belt 26 is conducted over a tray 31) of body 23 in a direction normal to axis 25 by means of a starwheel 32 rotatable on a shaft 38 in body 23. Starwheel 32 is provided with a pair of sprockets 34, and a sprocket 36 therebetween for respective engagement with cartridges 2t) and links 28 for successive displacement of cartridges 20 to a position 39 adjacent throat 24. A

header 41 is mounted on body 23 and is connected to barrel 16 by means of a conduit 47 for passing gases from the bore of the barrel to such header. A. pair of hollow pistons 42 are mounted on header 41 for communication therewith and are slidingly received by a pair of cooperating cylinders 40 mounted on a substantially H-shaped frame 35 which is actuatable by gases conducted from barrel 16 to cylinders 40 towards throat 24 to an actuated position. A pair of springs 44 are mounted between frame 35 and body 23 for biasing such frame to a normal position wherein the pistons 42 are telescoped into the cylinders 40 and the frame is moved away from throat 24.

A ratchet 46 is disposed between frame 35 and star wheel 32 for converting the linear movement of such frame to unidirectional rotation of such star wheel. Ratchet 46 includes a toothed wheel 48 secured to shaft 38 at each end thereof and such wheels are provided with ratchet-type teeth 49. A pair of arms 52 are mounted on shaft 38 for pivotal movement around the wheels 48 and are joined to frame 35 by links 54. The arms 52 are provided with slidably disposed detents 50 which are spring-biased for engagement with teeth 49 and such teeth are disposed for unidirectional rotation of star wheel 32 so as to convey the links 2S and the cartridges 20 engaged thereby to position 39 when frame 35 is actuated to the normal position by the springs 44.

Provided on frame 35 are stripper members 58 and 60 which are engageable with the cartridges 2t) when in position 39 to push such cartridges from the engaging links 28 into throat 24 when such frame is actuated by gases from barrel 16. A guide 43 is provided on body 23 to guide the emptied links 28 to an ejection port 45 in such body for passage therefrom.

Thus, when machine gun 12 is fired, the gases from the discharge are conducted by conduit 47 to header 41 for actuating frame 35 to the actuated position and the arms 58 and 60 against the cartridge 20 in position 39 to push such cartridge from the engaging link 28 into throat 24 for propulsion therealong into the breech of barrel 16 by a ramming mechanism, such as is disclosed in my patent application for a Rammer, Serial Number 633,810, filed January 11, 1957.

The actuation of the stripper members 58 and 60 by the discharge gases energizes the springs 44 so that, when the pressure of the gases in barrel 16 and header 41 has subsided, the energy stored in such springs returns frame 35 to normal position with the links 54 actuating ratchet 46 to rotate star wheel 32 for advancing the following cartridge 29 in belt 26 to position 39 ready for removal to throat 24 and the chamber of barrel 16 during the next cyclic operation of gun 12.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claim is intended to include such variations.

I claim:

In a machine gun supplied with cartridges by a belt including open links for gripping the cartridges and provided with a barrel for discharge of the cartridges chambered therein, a feeder including a body mounted on the gun, a throat mounted to said body and disposed to receive a cartridge radially thereinto for disposition towards the breech of the barrel, a sprocket device rotatably mounted to said body for engageably moving successive ones of the cartridges in the belt into position for radial removal from links into said throat, a frame slidably mounted to said body for reciprocation between a normal and an actuated position, means actuated by gases from the barrel for moving said frame to the actuated position, a pair of stripper members mounted on said frame for a 3 engagement with the cartridge positioned for removal into said throat to push such cartridge from the engaging one of the links into said throat when said frame is moved to the actuated position, spring means for biasing said frame to the normal position, ratchet means for converting movement of said frame to the normal position to unidirectional rotation of said sprocket device for sequentially advancing successive ones of the cartridges in the belt into the position for removal into said throat, said ratchet means including apair of wheels provided with ratchet teeth and disposed for rotation With said sprocket device, arms pivotally mounted to said sprocket device, links for connecting said arms to said frame for actuation thereby, and a detent slidably disposed in each of said arms and spring-biased for engagement with said teeth to transfer pivotal movement of said arms When actuated by movement of said frame to the normal position to rotation of said sprocket device for advancing the belt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,349,350 Tunks Aug. 10, 1920 10 2,377,828 Trotter et a1 June 5, 1945 2,436,370 Alexander Feb. 24, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 France Jan. 13, 1954 

